Churn



A. C. "HOUGLAND CHURN Jan; 4, 1938.

Filed April 16, 1936 2 Shets-Sheet 1 wmw Jan. 4, 1938. A. HOUGLAND CHURN Filed April'l6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 4, 1938 UNITED STATES CHURN Albert C. Hougland, St. Paul,

Minn. orto assign Crane Company of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Application April'lfi, 1936, Serial No. 14,703

7 Claims.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel and relatively inexpensive churn and but ter worker of the commercial type having a cylindrical'churn body in which all of the butter 5 making and working elements are fixed or stationary.

Another object is to provide a churn with novel butter Working members comprising shelves so formed and associated with the cylindrical churn 1o walls that an elongated mass of the butter is caused to be twisted about its longitudinal axis, alternately in opposite directions during the working operation.

A particular object is to provide a churn with w one or more butter working shelves each composed of a plurality of plane members extending from end to end of the churn and tapering in width longitudinally of the churn body.

My improved churn has the advantages of imw proved sanitation, lower cost and efficient working of the butter resulting from the elimination of all rotating parts in the butter chamber and isalso simpler and less expensive to manufacture than other churns havng fixed butter working 25 elements known to me.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate the best form of my invention at present known to me:

Figure. 1 is a horizontal section through the g axis of the cylindrical churn body and showing the butter working shelves in plan view;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the axis of the churn;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken transversely 35 through the axis of the churn on the line 3-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the two principalmembers or planks comprising one of the shelves.

I provide a cylindrical churn body 5 of suitable size and proportions for commercial use. This body has end walls 6 and I and is preferably constructed of wood with the usual or suitable extemal metal reinforcement (not shown). To 45 support the churn body for rotation'about its axis and with its axisdisposed horizontally, I provide standards 8 and 9 formed with bearings,

for axial shafts Ill and H respectively projecting from the end walls 6 and 1. Suitable spiders I2 50 are formed integral with the shafts l0 and Hand are secured to the end walls 6 and I. The standards 8 and Sara connected together by longitudinal frame members l3 and power for rotating I the churn body is transmitted from a pulley l4 ll through suitable gearing in a housing ii to the (Cl. Ell-33) shaft H. The gearing is of the change speed type and includes gears l6 and I1 slidably mounted on a shaft l8, and gears l9 and 20 fixed on the shaft II. A manually operable lever'2l is provided to shift the gears l6 and I1 along the shaft 5 It for changing from the higher speed desirable for churning to the lower speed required for working the butter.

Mounted within the churn body 5 and extending from end to end thereof are two, oppositely disposed, shelves indicated generallyby the numerals 22 and 23 respectively. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the shelf 22 is composed of plane wooden members24 and 25 angularly disposed to each other and with their adjoining edges 26 and 21 extending longitudinally in parallel, straight lines which are oblique to the axis of the churn. These edges are slightly spaced apart to facilitate cleaning and the outer edge 28 of the member 24 extends in parallel, slightly spaced relation to the elements of the cylindrical body 5, that is, in parallel relation to the axis of the churn body. The working face of the member 24 extends obliquely to the radii of the churn intersecting this surface, that is, in a plane which, when extended,

is tangent to an imaginary cylinder having a common axis with the cylindrical body 5. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the working or upper face of the shelf member 25 is not tangent to such imaginary cylinder, but extends in a; plane which 30 is oblique to the axis of the churn body.

The several shelf, members are considerably wider at one end than at the other, and the member 24 has its wide end abutting against the end wall 6 of the churn body and its narrow end abutting against the wall I. The reverse is true of the member 25 which has its narrow end against the wall 6 and its wide nd against the wall I of the churn. The shelf 23 comprises members 29 and 20, similar respectively to the members 24 4 and 25, except that the small end of the member 29 and the large end of the member 30 abut against the wall 6 of the churn body. As the shelf 24' is diametrically opposite the shelf 23,-

it will be apparent that the working face of the 5 member 30 extends in a plane which is parallel to the working face of the member 26 and the working face of the member 29 is parallel to the face of the member 24. The shelf members are secured to the cylindrical body of the churn by suitable brackets 31 located in a vertical plane about midway between the walls 6 and 1 and the ends of the shelves are secured to the walls 8 and l of the churn body by suitable means, such as brackets 32.

Extending along the axis of the churn body is abar 33 adapted to coact with the inner edges of the members and in retarding an end of the mass of butter on the shelves successively during the working operation, as more fully described hereinafter. The bar 33 is secured broadside to the inner edges of the shelves by bolts 34 accessible through the shafts l0 and II, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. Adjoining and extending along the working face of the shelf 22 is a pair of doors 35 of the usual or suitable construction to allow access to the interior of the churn.

Operation During the churning the body 5 is rotated about its axis, in the direction indicated by an arrow in Fig. 3, by power transmitted from the 'pulley ll through shaft I8, gears I6 and I9 and churning results. Upon completion of the chummg, the buttermilk is withdrawn and the desired amount of water and salt, when the latter is required, for the working are added to the butter in the churn body. The doors 35 are then closed and the churn rotated at the lower rate through the gears I1 and 20. During the working, the butter is retained in a single, unitary and elongated mass extending from end to end of the churn body. The direction of rotation being as indicated in Fig. 3, this elongated mass is picked butter working shelves and the mounting of the up and then rolled from first one shelf and then the other. Thus, the mass is lifted on the shelf 22 as this shelf is raised at the left of the cylindrical body, as seen in Fig. 3, its lateral inclination increases until the narrow, lower end of the member 25 allows the corresponding end of the butter mass to roll off the shelf. This twists the mass, part of which is retained onthe rising shelf by the wider portions of the member 25.

The bar 33 assists in the twisting action by coacting with the wide end of the member 25 to retain the mass of butter on the shelf at one end of the churn body while the other 'end of the mass rolls off. This twisting progresses from end to end of the mass of butter which normally retains its unitary form. As the rotation continues the entire mass of butter finally falls from the shelf 22 and is immediately picked up by the shelf 23. The latter repeats the operation. .just described but twists and rolls the mass in the reverse direction because of the fact that the wide end of the shelf member 30 is located opposite the narrow end of the shelf member 25 and causes the end of the mass of butterwhich first left the shelf 22 to leave the shelf 23 last. This alternate twisting and rolling of the mass of butter in the water and salt, without breaking up the mass into a multiplicity of small bodies, results in a uniform, thorough and rapid working of the butter fat, salt and water together and produces the desired waxy and uniform consistency. o

It will be evident that the manufacture of the same within the churn body is a relatively simple operation because the several shelf members all have the straight, plane form. These members 7 are preferably constructed from wood stock about two inches in thickness and the members for each shelf may be obtained by merely cutting a plane and suitably wide plank obliquely or diagonally'to form the edges 26 and 2l, as indicated outer edges of the shelves extend in parallel relation to the axis of the churn body. Another advantage obtained by my improved arrangement I of butter working shelves results from the location of one shelf so that it extends continuously, just beneath the doors 35. This facilitates the unloading of the finished butter from the churn because the mass is positioned on the shelf 22 where it is readily accessible for removal through both doors.

I preferto construct each shelf from a plurality of plane members, but it will be evident that a similar shelf may be constructed from a single piece of material within the spirit of my invention. The working face of a shelf may be given the equivalent concavity or dish-shape after suitable s'teaming of a unitary piece of wooden stock, or like forms may be constructed from stainless metal.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A churn comprising a cylindrical body disposed with its axis horizontal and arranged to be rotated about its axis and a' fixed butter Working shelf extending from end to end of said body along the inner periphery thereof, said shelf having its outer edge extending substantially parallel to the axis of said body and having an inner edge portion adapted to support a mass of butter in said body and sloping from one end of said body toward the other end, obliquely to the axis of said 2. A churn comprising a cylindrical body disposed with its axis substantially horizontal and arranged to be rotated about its axis and fixed butter working shelves extending from end to end of said body along and adjacent to diametrically opposite inner peripheries thereof, each of said shelves having its outer=edge extending substantially parallel to the axis of said body and any inner edge portion adapted to support a mass of butter in said body and sloping from one endof said body toward the other end, obliquely to the axis of said body, said shelves being arranged to twist said mass of butter alternately in opposite directions about the longitudinal axis of said mass.

in said body and said inner edge portions of said shelves being substantially parallel to each other.

4. A churn comprising a cylindrical body disposed with itsaxis horizontal and arranged to be rotated about its axis, a flxed butter working shelf extending along the interior of the cylindrical wall of said body from end to end thereof, said shelf comprising, a member having its outer edge extending substantially parallel to the axis of said body and its inner edge extending oblique- 1y to said axis, and a second member extending along the inner edge of said first mentioned member, said second member being wider at one end than at the other, and means for rotating said body whereby butter, during the working operation, is carried'upward on said shelf and is caused amass:

to roll therefrom starting at one end or the churn body and progressing to the other end. 5. A churn comprising a cylindrical body disposed with its axis horizontal and arranged to be rotated about its axis and a fixed butter working shelf extending along the interior 0! the cylindrif cal wall of said bodv from end to end thereof, said shelf comprising, a plane member having its outer edge extending substantially parallel to the axis of said body and its inner edge extendin obliquely to said axis, and a second plane member extending along the inner edge of said first mentioned member in a plane angularly disposed to the plane of said first mentioned member, said second member being substantially wider at one end than at the other.

6. A churn comprising a cylindrical body disposed with its axis substantially horizontal and arranged to be rotated about its axis and a fixed butter working shelf extending along the interior of the cylindrical wall otrsaid body from end to end thereof, said shelf comprising, a plane memher having its outer edge extending substantially parallel to the axis of said body and its inner edge extending obliquely to said axis, the workin ace oi said member defining a plane which is tangential to an imaginary cylinder coaxial with said body, and a second plane member extending along the inner edge or said first mentioned memher, said second member being wider at one end than at the other and the working face of said second member defining a plane oblique to the working face of said first mentioned member.

"I. A churn comprising a cylindrical body disposed with its axis horizontal and arranged to be rotated about its axis, a flxed butter working shelf extending from end to end oi said body along the inner periphery thereof, said shelf having its outer edge extending substantially parallel to the axis oi said body and having. an inner edge portion sloping continuously from one end to the other 01' said body, obliquely to the axis of said body, and a bar extending along the inner edge of said shelf and so spaced from said shelf as to onset with the inner edge thereoi in retarding a mass of butter on said shell and permitting the mass of butter to fall progressively from end to end between said bar and shelf.

ALBERT C. HOUGLAND. 

